Prose and polemics by ex Dunedin now Christchurch based recording artist Matt Middleton

Monday, February 4, 2013

Is it decline or is it divine?

Motivation and reward. Siltbreeze manager says Australias where its at. Theres a core of new wierd noise psych folk bands here , most of em work at an organic food factory called Lovin Earth, all of em active or is that 'activated?, energetic, touring Stateside like motherfuckers and commiting their un-rawk to vinyl on a daily basis. Port Chalmers be gone. The US college world now love Australia, maybe the kiwis were just too ....too ....too fricken kiwi.

Lets talk about decline. Lets talk about career lulls and beached whales. Lets talk about rust, mould and dust. Lets talk about full-time yakka. The insidious adumbration of work-waft and food crusted leggins are my finest hour. Thats yakka kiddo, and so long as the yakka is yakka i can't quite pull off an akka dakka. But i can be a bit of a wakka. Sooo, lightening up and holding back on meting out vigilante justice lets talk Turkey!
Its time to stop trying to be 20. The reservoir of mercurial magic and bucks fizz is at low tide.. Time to shift modes, to enter the subtler streams, to mellow out maaaan. Retain the acid of youth using different weapons. Don't even attempt energy blasts. An on stage cathartic spat at 38 will just look sad (it did at 20 too, but thats beside the point).

Darling, oh darling. Alan Vega is such a cool dude. There's a simplicity to him, a no nonsense approach to life and art. When watching his interviews we see a placid creature with thousands of cool stories of aesthetic struggle and shoestring budgets. Martin rev is equally cool headed and politically informed, these guys have been to hell and back for their stripped down dronage, and they are well deserving of the accolades of a fresh new generation of Suicide fans.

Platform 2 . 7.22 am. Just off to work. So much work, so little time to make art. The aesthetics will rise again, but totally reformed, totally different in its sonic approach. When , I'm not sure. The 'final demand' crude sessions are a pained platter of time stretched appropriated chunks, lazy clarinet,
childish vocalisations and tremolo pocked Judas Priest riffage. Another nasty , insane trawl , another nauseous trudge , darkened ambient. Final Demand is a direct reference to those tram fine notices often found coffee stained and ant eaten on the floor, threats of court imminent, the demand is final asshole, pay your dues now or well have to charge you for the court costs too buddy.